Chinese & Seiko Vintage Watch

A website for Chinese & Japanese vintage watches and other funny vintage stuffs. email: micmicmor@gmail.com

3/12/2007

An Original Shanghai A 581 Identification

Dial:- The dail must be original, no reprinting job apply.- The soul of A-581, original/rare dial could affect the value of the watch 3 or 4 times more than a normal one.- pic.1 shows the sample of original texture dial- pic.5 shows the earlier 1958-1964 products dial printing, pic.4 shows the printing of 1964 afterward- About 50-60 different style of dial. (will show you some rare sample on my collection)Watch Hands:There are 4 kinds of watch hands available.Upper Case:There are at least 6 different version of 581 watch case during the whole production periodBack Case:There are 12 version of 581 back case available (will show you on the further article), the upper case must fit the correct back case according its production period.Tension Ring:Pic 7 & 8 shows the both side of glass inner tencion ring. It should be thickness in shape and with hollow gap on the other sideCrown:Should be semi- sphere in shape (pic 4) with Shanghai logo (pic 5) on top.Movement seal ring:See pic. 9 shows the standard seal ring.Movement:Since almost all movement parts of 581 model are compatible to its latest mode, non original parts/ movement are always find. Please find the comparison of two movement on the bellowing photos:

A the movement fixing screw which only available in 611 or its latest model.B there is no balance screw on the balance wheel of 581model (please note, some early 611 model also has balance screw)C there is no anti-shock unit on the whole 581 modelD Both ratchet & crown wheel should be flatten on edge, if it has inclined carving on the edge (see d1)means it is A611a or its latest model's wheel)E is the factory production serial, it has 4 digits or 4 digits with an alphabet. It means the production date of the watch. The first two digits means production year, the next two digits means month. If its carry an alphabet, it means the production years is after 1962 and A means 1st lot, b means 2nd lot....,etc. If there is no serial number on the movement, it means its product year is from 1958 to 1960.